Published: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 at 5:03 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 at 5:03 p.m.

The cases of a lawyer charged with embezzlement, four teens accused of raping a classmate, two men facing murder charges and a man accused of felony child abuse were continued last week in district courts.

In Henderson County Superior Court:

Hendersonville attorney Alexander Veazey III, charged with felony embezzlement of more than $100,000 from a trust he handled, was given another court date of Nov. 12. No date has been set for his trial.

A preliminary investigation by the State Bar found that Veazey mishandled client funds that were deposited into his trust account, according to a consent order of preliminary injunction filed in Wake County on Jan. 31.

Tyler Scott Garren, 17, James Matthew Bishop, 17, Vincent Joseph Curto, 17, and Justin Wesley Ponder, 17, have been accused of raping a classmate, who told police she was in and out of consciousness, at a party in December.

The District Attorney’s Office asked for a change of prosecution Aug. 23 since the mother of one of the accused works in the Henderson County Clerk of Court’s office. A new prosecutor is set to continue with the case at its next court date of Nov. 12.

Justin Pate, facing a felony count of child abuse after his fiancÚ’s 5-month-old son was found unresponsive and required advanced life support, will appear in court again Sept. 30.

Eric Cornell Wilson, 43, charged with first-degree murder and felony kidnapping in the death of his ex-girlfriend, Victoria-Jon Baptiste, is scheduled to appear before a Superior Court judge again on Nov. 12.

Hendersonville police charged Wilson in connection with the strangulation death of 27-year-old Baptiste, who was found dead in her 1119 Park St. home on Jan. 12, 2011. An autopsy revealed she was bound and gagged, sexually assaulted and choked to death. Police said her three young children were in the home when authorities discovered her body.

An autopsy report said her hands were bound with a telephone cord that extended from around her neck and back to her hands. The cause of death was listed as asphyxiation caused by strangulation.

Wilson’s address, according to court records, was the same as Jon-Baptiste’s. The couple had a child together.

Wilson, who was originally charged with second-degree kidnapping and violating a domestic violence restraining order, is being held in the Henderson County jail in lieu of a $250,000 secured bond.

In Transylvania County Superior Court:

The trial for murder suspect Charles O’Shields was postponed until Feb. 27 in Transylvania County.

O’Shields has been charged with first-degree murder in the April 6, 2011 shooting death of Toby Maxwell Mathis, 27, of Lake Toxaway. Mathis was found dead inside the Dollar General store in Rosman from five gunshot wounds.

O’Shields was suspected to have been upset about Mathis’ involvement in the death of his son in December 2010. O’Shields’ son died after an altercation with Mathis, Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney told the Times-News in April 2011. Mathis was charged with felony involuntary manslaughter after 20-year-old Joey Michael O’Shields fell to his death from the back of a pickup truck that Mathis was driving.

According to Mahoney and the N.C. Highway Patrol, Joey O’Shields climbed up on Mathis’ truck during a dispute with Mathis, who was dating Joey O’Shields’ former girlfriend — a passenger in the truck.

The involuntary manslaughter charge against Mathis was pending in the courts at the time of his death.

<p>The cases of a lawyer charged with embezzlement, four teens accused of raping a classmate, two men facing murder charges and a man accused of felony child abuse were continued last week in district courts.</p><p>In Henderson County Superior Court:</p><p>Hendersonville attorney Alexander Veazey III, charged with felony embezzlement of more than $100,000 from a trust he handled, was given another court date of Nov. 12. No date has been set for his trial.</p><p>A preliminary investigation by the State Bar found that Veazey mishandled client funds that were deposited into his trust account, according to a consent order of preliminary injunction filed in Wake County on Jan. 31. </p><p>Tyler Scott Garren, 17, James Matthew Bishop, 17, Vincent Joseph Curto, 17, and Justin Wesley Ponder, 17, have been accused of raping a classmate, who told police she was in and out of consciousness, at a party in December. </p><p>The District Attorney's Office asked for a change of prosecution Aug. 23 since the mother of one of the accused works in the Henderson County Clerk of Court's office. A new prosecutor is set to continue with the case at its next court date of Nov. 12.</p><p>Justin Pate, facing a felony count of child abuse after his fiancÚ's 5-month-old son was found unresponsive and required advanced life support, will appear in court again Sept. 30.</p><p>Eric Cornell Wilson, 43, charged with first-degree murder and felony kidnapping in the death of his ex-girlfriend, Victoria-Jon Baptiste, is scheduled to appear before a Superior Court judge again on Nov. 12.</p><p>Hendersonville police charged Wilson in connection with the strangulation death of 27-year-old Baptiste, who was found dead in her 1119 Park St. home on Jan. 12, 2011. An autopsy revealed she was bound and gagged, sexually assaulted and choked to death. Police said her three young children were in the home when authorities discovered her body.</p><p>An autopsy report said her hands were bound with a telephone cord that extended from around her neck and back to her hands. The cause of death was listed as asphyxiation caused by strangulation.</p><p>Wilson's address, according to court records, was the same as Jon-Baptiste's. The couple had a child together. </p><p>Wilson, who was originally charged with second-degree kidnapping and violating a domestic violence restraining order, is being held in the Henderson County jail in lieu of a $250,000 secured bond.</p><p><b>In Transylvania County Superior Court:</b></p><p>The trial for murder suspect Charles O'Shields was postponed until Feb. 27 in Transylvania County.</p><p>O'Shields has been charged with first-degree murder in the April 6, 2011 shooting death of Toby Maxwell Mathis, 27, of Lake Toxaway. Mathis was found dead inside the Dollar General store in Rosman from five gunshot wounds.</p><p>O'Shields was suspected to have been upset about Mathis' involvement in the death of his son in December 2010. O'Shields' son died after an altercation with Mathis, Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney told the Times-News in April 2011. Mathis was charged with felony involuntary manslaughter after 20-year-old Joey Michael O'Shields fell to his death from the back of a pickup truck that Mathis was driving. </p><p>According to Mahoney and the N.C. Highway Patrol, Joey O'Shields climbed up on Mathis' truck during a dispute with Mathis, who was dating Joey O'Shields' former girlfriend — a passenger in the truck.</p><p>The involuntary manslaughter charge against Mathis was pending in the courts at the time of his death.</p><p>O'Shields turned himself in after a week-long manhunt in April 2011.</p><p>Reach Weaver at Emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.</p>